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THE issue of social
mobility is something of a fixation here, as it should be as mobility
declines with development generally and can create social tensions. One
facet of this is the role of self-help groups in helping families move
up the social ladder, as noted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Taking
a holistic approach, assistance should extend beyond schools to
post-secondary institutions, and should also go beyond just academic
grades. Becoming more successful in life calls for a range of soft
skills, like the knack of networking, social confidence and money
management. A good measure of character, cultural appreciation and
emotional intelligence can also help give a leg upto young people from
low-income homes.

While education remains a
central plank, developing entrepreneurship is another way to bridge the
gulf between the haves and the have nots. But inadequate capital, high
rentals, rising labour costs and the lack of business contacts all stack
the odds against those from disadvantaged homes. In a risk-averse
culture, the young might gravitate towards a secure job to buy a better
home for their family or help educate their siblings. Business
associations and larger firms can play a useful part in checking this
tendency through internships to foster an entrepreneurial spirit,
mentoring programmes and business angel schemes.

It is encouraging that
the doors continue to remain open for those from lower socio-economic
groups to get ahead. The so-called 'double poor', with low household
incomes and poor grades, can also be found in good neighbourhood primary
schools that have produced top students. Over 90 per cent of each
cohort move on to post-secondary institutes - high by world standards -
and almost half of those from one- to three-room flats make it to
universities and polytechnics. Fittingly, many financial assistance
schemes are available to them.Society will splinter if the children of
the rich grow up to become rich, while those of poor parents stay poor.

While social mobility
carried three Tans to the Istana gate, as noted by Associate Professor
Koo Tsai Kee after the presidential election last year, the candidates
rose up during an earlier time. A study by the Finance Ministry found
moderate to high mobility here, but the fathers surveyed averaged more
than 50 years of age and the ministry cautioned that the study might not
apply to future generations. Also, while the poor have a chance of
moving up, those from well-off homes have a higher probability of
succeeding for a host of reasons like better financial support for study
and cultural capital. Rising inequality is a worldwide phenomenon. It
bears watching to ensure that society strives to keep hopes of moving up
alive.